Tour Bus Lawsuit Investigation

Our law firm helps people injured in bus crashes and the families of those who do not survive. Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman can be contacted regarding a lawsuit investigation at 1-888-377-8900 (toll free). The information below is from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Greyhound Bus Crash Investigation

The January 19, 2016, Greyhound bus crash in San Jose, California, “was caused by the state’s failure to provide adequate traffic guidance and highway markings,” according to NTSB. The crash killed 2 passengers, and 14 other people, including the driver, were injured. Ironically, the fatal accident happened when the Greyhound bus rode up a crash attenuator, which is a structure in the road meant to “attenuate” or reduce the impact in a crash. The bus then rolled onto its side.

The bus was exiting left from Highway 101 in rainy darkness. Instead of being in the exit lane, he was in the paved area between the main lane and the exit lane.

“Ahead of him was the unmarked, energy-absorbing barrier called a crash attenuator, and ahead of the attenuator was the concrete barrier. The California Department of Transportation did not mark the gore with stripes or chevrons, which are often used to differentiate the gore from the roadway”NTSB

This crash also highlights the need to always wear seat belts when provided. Only two of the 21 passengers were wearing seat belts, even though they were available to all. The two people who were killed in the crash were not wearing seat belts and were thrown from the bus.

“This crash did not have to happen because the barrier that the bus hit should have been visible, even in the bad weather, but it was not,’’ said NTSB Acting Chairman T. Bella Dinh-Zarr.

Tour Bus Crash

In 2011, two people were killed and 35 injured, four critically, when a tire blew out on a tour bus owned by Bedore Tours, located in New York. The vehicle was heading northbound on I-390, about 55 miles southeast of Rochester, NY, when the accident happened. It was going to Niagara Falls.

“The investigation points to tire failure as the cause of the crash.”

The insurance company representing Bedore Tours may contact accident victims or their families. If this happens to you, do not talk to the insurance company employee because it could hurt your case. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the company is insured for bodily injury claims with National Interstate Insurance Company.

The tour bus plunged down an embankment into a wooded median separating the south and north lanes of the interstate at 4:16 p.m., according to the New York State Police. It then hit several trees and turned over.

One person died at the scene. The other 35 passengers and driver were either treated at the scene or transported to hospitals. One passenger later died at Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville, New York, and a passenger with critical injuries was flown to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY.

Information from the engine control module needs to be analyzed by an experienced U.S. bus accident attorney. This evidence may provide information on how fast the vehicle was traveling and the condition of its braking system.

Fred Pritzker is our lead attorney for these cases. When he is hired, he sends a spoliation letter to the company. This is a letter requesting that the company preserve evidence related to the accident.

More information from a local news report:

“All the passengers were from India. The second fatality involved a 66-year-old woman, whose identity was withheld pending notification of her family. The tourists had boarded the vehicle Saturday in New York City and went to Washington, D. C., before heading to Niagara Falls at 9 a.m. Sunday.”Buffalo News